Numbers: a method for counting as well as diminishing. Throughout my many years and the tumults of time I have endured, I have seen great numbers pass. Others would call them people, but my aging mind has dehumanized the lot of them. Their lives were so finite, and their "eternal" constructs far too fleeting to leave a lasting impression.
And yet there are always those members who stand out from the crowd. Some people are hard to forget like that: Robin, for instance. They stick in your mind like peanut butter on the roof of a dog's mouth; sometimes for reasons you can't explain; and sometimes they're a bad joke that you remember when under pressure at an awkward party.
I recall one such person of the latter category who lived in Revaliir's Adeluna City: a young and rising star among the law enforcement of the world. His name was Ash Winters, but I did not meet him personally until after he had already left the employ of the crown. Before then, he was a Royal Inspector in service to High Queen Qendressa; one of many inside a corps of the highest trained law officials the empire had to offer. It was in this position that he looked over many cases: solving them as he went and filing paperwork in the evenings: an overall mundane existence.
One evening during this relatively boring lifestyle, however, Mr. Winters came across a case that would begin his transition to a more auspicious post. A general's daughter had been killed alongside three other civilians, so, of course, the guard was mobilized. Among the rosters of the Royal Inspectors, though, none chose to assist in the investigation. Most were either busy with other incidents abroad or had already determined the case was too simple a matter to bother with. After all, there were reports the perpetrator was already being apprehended, turned in by the innkeeper who had overheard him talking about his vampire characteristics.
Yet Ash was not as convinced as his colleagues seemed to be. He had been canvassing the city for witnesses whilst in his downtime between cases, and was also conversing with the coroner's office when he found some peculiarities about the bodies. According to the coroner, the bite marks on each of the corpses had the distinct smell of rosemary mixed with strong alcohol: almost like a potion of sorts. It was a small detail, but one that piqued the young detective's interest. For this reason, he found the scene of the arrest before it occurred, arriving just as the grieving general decided to let his rage get the better of him.
"I believe that is my judgment to make, general," the young man in shabby clothing said after his fellow officer decided to presume Nikolaus' guilt. He stepped forth from the opposite end of the street, cap guarding his face from the oncoming wind and a gloved hand holding said cap down. On his belt he wore an oversized insignia depicting his role in the Royal Inspector Corps, and t'was the sight of this that made the general sneer.
"Ugh. You would show up, Winters," the old man retorted with more than a hint of disdain. They knew each other; but obviously not on the best of terms. Still, Ash persisted, creating an overall odd dynamic where the younger man seemingly outranked the old codger.
"Show up to keep you from killing a man who is potentially innocent before a proper investigation is done? I believe that's my job description, so I'll take your word as, 'You would be this dedicated, wouldn't you, Mr. Winters.'" He put extra emphasis on the Mr. part of his statement, for Ash hated when people knew of his title but chose to refer to him in a disrespectful manner just because of his age. He normally didn't assume that was the intention of people who did, but the general was a special case. For this, and because of their previous history, Ash decided to shove a metaphorical boot up the old man's ass. "And need I remind you, General Herst, that, except under special circumstances, law officers are to recuse themselves from a case if it is obvious their emotions will get the better of them? That means, if Mr. Nikolaus here is to hang, you won't be the one presiding over his fate."
As expected, the general fumed from this statement, for it effectively meant he was off the case. "He's the only vampire," he shouted in helplessness, revealing his emotional compromise! "He's the only one that could have killed her! Could have killed my Autumn…" The general finally broke down in tears, moving to the next stage of grief. He knelt down in front of Mr. Winters a broken man, forcing Ash to have the other guards help him to return home.
"He's an obvious target for a grieving man," Ash said before the general's men took him back home. "You know as well as I that that's not good enough proof to condemn him to death." Finally turning his attention back to Nikolaus and Katerina after this incident, the young detective continued with his intentions laid bare. "That said, lack of evidence, in this case, doesn't mean lack of guilt. You're not destined for the gallows yet – or, in your case, burning at the stake – , but only provided that you help me prove your innocence, Nikolaus. Fail to cooperate on that front and you'll be locked away for a long time; a very long time."
The guards accompanying the vampire adjusted his shackles then to accommodate for his recent escape. They secured the implements with a rod that had been sanctified to nullify a vampire's strength, reducing Nikolaus to a normal man who could be overpowered by a group of human guards if necessary. Afterward, they would take him further into the city, but, for now, he was allowed to speak alongside his girlfriend.
"To be honest, I'll take criminals over women any day. At least I understand criminals." -Ash Winters
